Where are all the successful women?

Of course, if you’ve been following my teachings, you know that what I’m most concerned with are the number of female self-made billionaires. After all, these women are the movers and shakers the rest of us mortals can look up to! But before I dive into the most recent numbers, let’s take a trip down memory lane. In 2011, just 9 short years ago, this was the reality:

• Of the top 10 wealthiest women in the world, every single one inherited their wealth from a male relative.

• Of the world's 1,011 self-made billionaires (those who made their own money rather than inheriting it), only 14 were women.

Sounds pretty darn disappointing, right? Do you think that number has grown?

When I examined 2018 data, I was pleased to find a record 2,208 billionaires made the prestigious ranking. Here are some notable stats about successful women in this category:

• There were 256 women billionaires.

• Compared to 2017, their collective net worth was up 20% to surpass $1 trillion.

• There are 72 self-made women billionaires on the list.

Ok, so we are definitely making progress — those numbers show five times as many self-made female billionaires in just seven years. That’s encouraging and all signs point to things moving in the right direction.

But what to today’s numbers reveal? Unsurprisingly, the billionaire population remains heavily male dominated — just over one female for every nine men. There was virtually no change over 2018 (which, frankly, wasn’t a lot of time for anyone to acquire a whole new level of wealth).

• 6 in every 10 male billionaires created their own fortunes, compared with only 16% of women.

• The 15 richest women in the U.S. are worth a collective $262.4 billion.

• Many of the women on the list are related to one another — including the four Mars sisters who cashed in on their family’s impressive candy and pet food company. Others earned their fortunes through divorce, such as Jeff Bezos’ ex MacKenzie Bezos, or when a family member passed away, such as Laurene Powell Jobs, who’s late husband was Steve Jobs.